I was pleasantly surprised by the new album. I'll admit to not being familiar with their post-Fallen work (though I dug Amy's guest appearance on the new Bring Me the Horizon release), but this album felt very fresh. My favorite moments were when they stepped out of their comfort zone (and yes, I know the lineup has changed many times) with some poppy or experimental moments. I haven't listened to Synthesis, but I'm sure it played a huge factor in this.

Also, Amy impressed me A LOT, both as a singer and a lyricist. She made me go "whoa" in quite a few songs. Even the obligatory "piano song" Far from Heaven was pretty good (thanks, Chris Vrenna). I just wish the guitarists had written more interesting riffs; granted, there are not many bland nu-metal chugs here, but they still exist, and they're holding them back, in my opinion. Still, a very entertaining album that actually shows evolution and promise. Hopefully, the current band members will stay for a while.